I have no ill will toward the BN, but they are an entirely different animal. They can field entrants in every region in the country. This is not a level playing field. No regional club can make a run at the Club of the Year award.
Yeah, when the St Paul Homebrewers club threepeated we did have Gordon Strong competing with us, but we only needed his points one year to actually win it. Also, we only had one extra guy in one extra region NOT in every region in the country.
Also, when QUAFF did 6 in a row, they did have Jamil in a second region. Again, however, only 2 regions in one state. Not the same as EVERY REGION in the country.
In my opinion Club of the Year has become a joke. The award has been cheapened.
Again, I'll repeat: No rancor toward the BN, but seriously....
So we could probably form a super Midwest club or a large anit-BN club and get some great brewers on board to take on BN, which there's been talk about doing, but what would that prove or mean? It would just be the same BS.
Enough. I'm sick of the argument about the BN enabling someone who can't join a club...blah blah blah.....there's a difference between a regionally based local club where people actually have meetings and know each other personally, and a virtual club.